Digital Triage in Primary Care: Effects on Access, Continuity, and Healthcare Service Utilization

Resumen

Digital triage has emerged as an increasingly relevant strategy for reorganizing access to primary care by allowing patients to communicate symptoms and healthcare needs through digital platforms before direct clinical assessment. This study analyzed its impact on accessibility, continuity of care, and healthcare service utilization through an integrative review and comparative health-services analysis. Evidence from observational studies, systematic reviews, mixed-method investigations, and evaluations of digital and telephone triage models was examined. The findings showed that digital triage can improve flexibility and timeliness of access, although utilization varies according to demographic characteristics, digital literacy, and system design. Evidence also demonstrated that reductions in face-to-face consultations may be accompanied by increases in telephone or digital contacts, indicating a redistribution rather than a consistent reduction in healthcare demand. Continuity of care was more likely to be preserved when digital triage was integrated with the patient’s usual primary care team and electronic health record. Differences in access among population groups highlighted the importance of maintaining alternative pathways for patients at risk of digital exclusion. Overall, digital triage should be considered a complex organizational intervention whose effectiveness depends on clinical integration, equity, continuity, patient safety, and appropriate escalation mechanisms. Its principal contribution may lie in improving the prioritization and distribution of care rather than simply reducing the number of conventional consultations.